Related Media

The strongest of the strong at Lake Tahoe will go head to head in the annual CrossFit competition, Fittest of the Sierra, this weekend at South Tahoe CrossFit and the South Tahoe Community Sports Complex.

The competition pits entrants against each other in various exercises, known as workouts of the day or WODs. Each competitor must complete a designated amount of repetitions in a designated time before moving on to the next exercise.

This year’s event will be held over two days for the first time. The event will also have access to the fields at South Tahoe Middle School for the first time, Pinero said.

“We really wanted to offer things that people can’t do at their local gym,” Pinero said.

One of those will be running a heavy weight across the football field multiple times.

“That’s the one everybody is worried about,” Pinero said.

Greg and Lauren Glassman founded CrossFit, a combination of aerobic exercise, weight lifting and gymnastics, in 2000. Routines vary daily. Today, there are thousands of gyms dedicated to the practice.

Last year’s event featured 100 athletes and included exercises like “burpee box jumps,” where a competitor starts in the standing position, drops down into a pushup position, gets back up and then jumps over a wooden box, as well as jump roping and medicine ball throws.

Approximately 120 competitors are expected this year. “Each year Fittest of the Sierra has grown a little bit,” Pinero said. More than five regional gyms are now involved.

This year’s Fittest of the Sierra is sponsored by Flipatire, Strata Fitness, Vita Coco, Rocktape, Atlas Power Straps, A Box Above, Exquisite Grill, Casto Chiropractic and Marley’s Coffee. Fittest of the Sierras is a partnership between South Tahoe CrossFit and Growing Worldwide Opportunity Foundation, a Zephyr Cove-based program designed to help solve food, shelter, health and education issues around the world.